Comments by java805

Councilmember Hotchkiss abstained from voting on this year's Human Services Commission recommendations for funding based on his opposition to funding a meal sharing program for the homeless. He stated that feeding the homeless is "like feeding pigeons - they come from all over". He stated that he did not want to vote against the Human Services Commission recommendations and instead would abstain from voting and did so.

So the people who critcize the blue line project are the same people who thought it was a brilliant idea to spend $50,000 of the TAXPAYER'S money to turn the benches around on State Street, re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. And Sharon Byrne was right there with them. So while the water creeps up from the ocean towards State street, the deck chairs will be facing the right way to enjoy the waves.

Hundreds? Really? Please share with us your background that gives you experience with hundreds of homeless veterans with alcohol and drug problems, and by all means share any data you may have that backs up your experience as really true. Oh - and seeing as every veteran on the street must prove what they say, please post some sort of tangible proof on that, eh? PTSD? Prove it soldier! And if we take the time to have each homeless person claiming to be a veteran show proof of his/her status, that would require treating them each as individuals, wouldn't it? Wouldn't have the benefit of prejudice if we did that, would we?

Where, oh where to begin with the fact that the nakedtruth post is pretty well cloaked and absent much truth. Actually, in the United States there is quite a lot guaranteed to you by birth - you know that whole Bill of Rights and Constution thing that so often gets in the way. Freedom to travel and all that. And you will note that this is an actual story about a person - a man who served his country in the military who died without a roof over his head. The vast, vast majority of people in this City and Country believe that when a veteran dies in a pit along the freeway, that is actually news. And yes, with just a bit of research you will indeed find real scientific evidence that homeless people die at a higher rate than people who are housed. Hmm - oh yes - the homeless are asked to abide by the same set of rules as the housed. Really? The housed can drink all they want, have sex all they want and urinate and deficate in a toilet. Between 8:00 PM and 7:00 AM there are no available public toilets. Sex and drinking alcohol in public are against the law. And, oh yeah, there is that whole sleeping thing - you know the part where housed people get to sleep in a warm bed and the homeless get tickets for sleeping on a piece of cardboard under a bush. What's next? Okay, the "able bodied" part. Considering that scientific eveidence shows that a vast amount of homeless people suffer from mental illness, I would guess that you have reviewed the medical charts of the "Rainbow Gatherers" and you have proof that they are all able bodied. Or pehaps you figured that out just by looking at them? Oh, but then that would be bigotry, wouldn't it? The best part about a news website? If you don't want to read something you can pretty much skip over it. Unless of course you would just as soon deal with the real naked truth.

The data shows that we have virtually the came number of homeless people as coastal communiites with similar demographics, population and landmass. It shows that homeless people from other locations do indeed arrive here, but don't come becuase they are seeking services. The arrive for family, friends and climate. Will people finally put that aside and move on the soultions that have been proven to work? What is different is that the number of homeless people in many similar communities is dropping. Why? These communities are investing in proactive policing, smarter coordinated service provision and smart housing strategies. We can do that too. That is our Common Ground now. But will this happen? Will the vile rheotoric come to an end and all interests join together? Will compassion combined with responsibility win the day? Or will the attacks and fear mongering, shaming and blaming cycle be reinvigorated as is was today on one, irresponsible forum? The time has indeed come to stand on Common Ground, to bring our whole community home. I pray the the cynics will stop it and the hopeful will rise-up. I pray that the death will end and that everyone gets credit for the success that is immediately at hand. I pray that the good will not be disabled by the perfect and that ideology is released and forgiveness wins the day. All hands on deck - time to work. Everyone is about to win together.

And neighborhoods are just lining up to have homeless people pouring onto their turf for outdoor feeding programs. Yeah right. If youv'e got a problem, don't provide the reources to solve it - spread it around outdoors like they do in...wait... that's right... other cities found out the hard way. And we have the State Legislature to thank for the fact we cannot serve people indoors and affordably.

WOW! An elected official has suggested that homeless people should be forced into locked behavior modification centers in centralized locations where they can be re-indoctrinated and "matured". Councilmember Self has finally jumped the shark. Another embarrassment for this great city. "A Clockwork Santa Barbara"

The only thing this article proves is that the hotel owner who proclaimed that the travel sites were filled with increasing complaints was misleading and greatly exagerating. It also shows that hoteliers are not monolthic in their claims that homelessness is the problem, when in far, far more cases people do not come back because they had a bad experience in one of the very few hotels that is not up to snuff. Interesting also to note that one of the biggest complainers about homelessness has one of the worst ratings on Trip Advisor and it is about a bad hotel experience, rather than homeless people. What Santa Barbara is really not falling for is "Henny Penny - The Sky is Falling" rhetoric. The only folks who are being discedited are those that do not tell the truth and/or excagerate the truth that does exist to ridiculous extremes.

Actually, Lars, there is a group of powerful people who are indeed doing everything they can to prevent the homeless from receiving basic nutrition. And actually, rukidding, there are 12,000 fewer homeless people in San Francisco than there was five years ago BECAUSE they adopted Housing First, recommitted to effective shelter and food programs and created Project Homeless Connect. They did the same thing in LA and the number of homeless dropped from 60,000 to 48,000. Services actually work to reduce homelessness, not add to it. It's time that people start telling the truth to raw bigotry.

Casa Esperanza tried to create more food locations and opened the prototype, but the State of California did away with the permit that allowed this to continue. Casa's fault? City/PD shoves tons of homeless people into the neighborhood. Casa's fault? City/ PD abandons consistent and proactive policing in the area. Casa's fault? Alcohol outlets openly selling booze to drunk people. Casa's fault? The Mipas Asscoiation disbands two years ago due to lack of leadership and apathy. Casa's fault? Some Milpas neighbors have come out in support of the shelter's work and have asked that Casa stop serving lunch and only serve the people who live there. Logical. Casa Esperanza has stated that they are willing to do that, but only when there is a way for people to get fed somewhere else. A moral position and a fair position. If the neighborhood representatives were smart - and caring - they would champion the development of creative food alternatives throughout the City for those in need. As long as they stay on the attack and demand that hungry people go without any alternatives, they will be perceived by an exponentially increasing number of Santa Barbaran's and heartless. They are not, but as one Milpas business owner recently said about Casa, "perception is reality". Considering that they all agree on tons of ideas that would improve the neighborhood, maybe if people saw them all working toegther on that stuff, more people would come along to help create the resources everyone needs because they want to join the positive energy. Casa Esperanza had over 500 volunteers help them in the last year and they have thousands of donors - that's pretty positive energy. Consideirng that they want to find ways to feed people in other places, and decrease lunches on Cacique, maybe the business people should let bygones be bygones and work together and join Casa in its good and very successful work.